Man complains to FBI about JP

A Georgia man has accused a Plaquemines Parish justice of the peace of notarizing a bogus real estate document purporting to donate two vacant lots the man owns to the justice's son.

Joseph Larché filed a malfeasance complaint with the FBI alleging that Herbert G. Williams abused his powers as an elected official to benefit relatives.

Williams notarized an act of donation in February 2003 transferring ownership of two lots in Dalcour on the east bank of Plaquemines from Larché's family to Williams' son and daughter-in-law, Herbert T. Williams and Constance Williams.

Larché's attorney, Robert Marrero, said the two-page document is rife with errors, most notably an illegible signature by the donor, whose name is not printed on the document as required by law.

"It's not even clear who is supposed to be making the donation," he said.

The Williamses called the errors honest mistakes and said the transfer was a legitimate donation to the couple for having maintained the property.

"We've been taking care of this land for 20 years, mowing the grass and hauling in dirt," Herbert T. Williams said.

Property records indicate Larché, who lives in Atlanta, inherited the lots in 2002 after his mother, Teasie Larché, died in New Orleans.

Larché discovered the purported donation when he recently had the property appraised after the neighboring Bethlehem Baptist Church inquired about buying the land to build a fellowship hall.

"I don't know whose signature that is but I can tell you it's not mine," Larché said, looking at the name scrawled on a copy of the donation document filed at the Plaquemines Parish courthouse. "As the sole heir, I'm the only one who could sign away this property."

Herbert T. Williams and Constance Williams, who live in a double-wide mobile home on the property three miles south of the Belle Chasse ferry's east bank landing, said Teasie Larché approved the donation to thank them for maintaining the property....